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Sergio Garcia claims first PGA Tour title

Sergio Garcia fired a seven-under 63 on Sunday to come from five shots down and win his fist PGA Tour event at the Colonial. His 13-under 267 was two better than Brian Gay and overnight leader and defending champion Phil Mickelson.

Glen Day finished alone in fourth at 10-under par with Justin Leonard, Shigeki Maruyama and third-round co-leader Brett Quigley a shot behind at minus-nine.

Garcia opened with four birdies in his first six holes but could not get close to Mickelson because the lefthander birdied two and three. Mickelson tapped-in for birdie at five and then holed a 10-footer at seven to get to 15-under. Garcia snaked in a 25-footer for birdie at seven and then played an eight-iron to a foot at nine to set up birdie. That moved the young Spaniard to 12-under par.

With his three-shot lead, Mickelson hit a four-iron into a front left bunker at the par-three eighth. He blasted out to 25 feet and missed his par save a foot to the left for his first bogey of the round.

Mickelson bogeyed the ninth as well despite having only 80 yards to the stick with his approach. He had a 12-footer for birdie but missed the putt by two feet. Mickelson pulled his tap-in par effort and saw his lead drop to one shot at minus-13.

Garcia hung on with par saves to start his back nine. At the par-five 11th, Garcia topped his drive and only hit it 110 yards down the fairway. He laid up and then hit his third 15 feet from the cup but missed the birdie try. Garcia two-putted from the right fringe at 12 to save par.

The 21-year-old Garcia knocked his seven-iron tee shot at the par-three 13th to 18 feet and rolled home the birdie effort to tie Mickelson at the top of the leaderboard.

Mickelson struggled on 12 as he drove into a fairway bunker and could only play his approach 50 feet right of the hole. He two-putted for par but looked shaky at 13 when his tee shot came to rest on the back fringe some 20 feet away. Mickelson two-putted for another par but would not have the same luck at the next hole.

At 14, Mickelson had only 149 yards to the flag but pulled his eight-iron shot into the right rough. He chipped to five feet but missed the putt and was forced to card a bogey. That dropped Mickelson to 12-under par and now one back of Garcia.

Garcia rolled along with pars at 15, 16 and 17 but seemed to find trouble off the tee at 18. He drove into the left rough and needed to put a big hook on his approach to get it anywhere near the hole. He turned the shot enough to land it on the green and then watched as it rolled 20 feet from the hole. Garcia missed the putt but carded a 63, the same score Mickelson posted last year when he came from behind to win the event.

Mickelson, two holes behind Garcia, still had a chance to come back as he stepped on the 17th tee. He hit an iron from the tee into the left rough and then flew his approach over the green against a grandstand. Mickelson received a drop and then hit one of his flop shots to three feet. His putt lipped out of the cup and he took bogey to fall two behind.

After Mickelson failed to hole out his second shot on 18, Garcia earned his first PGA Tour win and his third victory worldwide since he turned professional in 1999.

"It's a great feeling to be able to win on this course," said Garcia, who pocketed $720,000 for the win. "Hopefully this will help me in my career. It's just a great feeling to win."

Mickelson recorded his seventh top-three performance of the 2001 campaign but he has only win to show for it, the Buick Invitational. He finished the round with an even-par 70.

Gay birdied his last hole to get to 11-under. He could have finished alone in second but his approach at 15 found water and he had to take bogey. Gay carded a final-round 65.

Second-round leader and two-time winner of this event Corey Pavin tied for eighth with David Toms and Rocco Mediate at seven-under 273.

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